Five Attractions to Skip at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is my absolute favorite of the four Walt Disney World parks. Cinderella’s Castle gets me every time. I love the ambiance, the Main Street USA atmosphere, and Festival of Fantasy Parade. Magic Kingdom is also home to many of my favorite attractions. Dumbo, Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and my list goes on and on. We try to allow at least two days at Magic Kingdom during our Disney trips. However, you may find yourself with limited time at Magic Kingdom. Today, I am going to share the Five Attractions to Skip at Magic Kingdom. This week’s Magical Blogorail Blue Loop is all about what to skip at the various parks. Be sure to check it out! And while you are here, enter to win a copy of Descendants 2!

The AstroOrbiter~ You may remember from my Top Magic Kingdom Attractions to Visit at Night, that the Astro Orbiter was on my list. And yes, that is one of those you should ride at night. However, it is not on the top of my “must do” list for a day at Magic Kingdom. Why? First, the queue is very slow. You have to take an elevator up to the loading area, and this wastes precious park time. Also, the elevator ride can be unpleasant during the peak seasons when they pack guests onto the elevator. If you are going to enjoy this attraction, consider doing it during Evening Extra Magic Hours.

Country Bear Jamboree ~ I know, the country bears are a classic. And I do love them! I actually love seeing my husband sing along with the country bears even more! However, it is also a time suck. If you have precious time to spend at Magic Kingdom, it is okay to skip the Country Bear Jamboree. This is a great one if it is raining, or blasted hot outside and you need a break. However, there are many other attractions that are more worth your time than the Country Bear Jamboree.

Stitch’s Great Escape ~ There have been rumors that this may cease to exist. And if so, that is totally fine with me! As of today, it is still at Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. I absolutely detest this attraction, and it makes the list for that very reason. Even if I had three days to spend at Magic Kingdom, I still would not ride it. I do love Stitch, but this ride was a one and done for me. I do not like the way you are secured in your seat, it’s loud, and kind of freaky. I do not recommend you ride this with young children. And trust me, it is definitely a “must skip”. If it is closed while you are at Magic Kingdom, don’t be sad about it!

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin ~ Magic Kingdom is home to three in the air, spinning attractions. AstroOrbiter, Dumbo, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin are all favorites for various reasons. However, if you have limited time at Magic Kingdom, it is okay to skip the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. This one is sort of lack luster. It doesn’t have the cute queue or the theming that Dumbo does, and does not provide the views {particularly at night} that the AstroOrbiter does. Although, if you were traveling with my daughter, you’d ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin over and over again! If you have limited time and need to skip one in the air, spinning attraction, skip this one.

Goofy’s Barnstormer ~ This attraction is found in Storybook Circus, and I think this is okay to skip for several reasons. First, the queue is boring and can be quite hot. There isn’t any amazing theming at this attraction, either. It is good for the littles who want a roller coaster experience. However, I find it last on our list, as it is not a “must do” in my opinion.

A few general tips when your time is limited at Magic Kingdom:

Arrive at the park 30-minutes before park opening. Have your bag ready and open for bag check, and have a plan for where you are going first. We typically start in Adventureland and work our way around Magic Kingdom.

Stop for photos on Main Street USA in the afternoon, or as you are leaving. I know that taking pictures can be a time suck. However, I have found the photographers less busy during the afternoon hours.

Plan your Fastpasses for between 11AM and 2PM. This is when the park starts getting busy. So you want to save your Fastpasses for this time of day. That gives you time to enjoy them at the peak time, as well as give you plenty of time to get more later as the day goes on.

Do not see any shows. I LOVE Mickey’s Philharmagic, but if we only have one day at Magic Kingdom, it is not a priority. They can be a huge time suck. If you must see one, save it for the heat of the day to give yourself a break indoors.

Eat only Quick Service meals. Save your table service for another day, or perhaps a nice dinner after your day at Magic Kingdom. If you can get an early enough breakfast time at a Magic Kingdom resort and still make it to the park before it opens, that is another alternative to working in a table service meal.

Plan to spend the day at Magic Kingdom from open to close. That means parking your bag accordingly, planning a few breaks here and there IN the park, and not leaving to go back to the resort to rest or swim. Magic Kingdom has some nice places to take a break, yet sill enjoy the park. The Liberty Belle Riverboat, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and the play area outside of Splash Mountain all allow a short break while working on your game plan for the rest of the day.

Plan your meet and greets well. Try to see characters in Pete’s Silly Sideshow-you can see four characters in probably about 30 minutes depending on the lines. Visit two princesses in Princess Fairytale Hall, and avoid the meet and greets at the park entrance. This will help you hit the highlights, and still have time to enjoy the park.

How would you spend one day at Magic Kingdom?

For more ideas on what to skip at the Disney Parks,
check out the other great posts from the Blogorail!

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Carrie is the author and founder of A Princess and Her Pirates. She likes to share her Disney travel tips, crafts, recipes, and ways that she finds JOY everyday in her life! She believes that everyday brings new joy, and that everyone needs to have a little happiness in their life! She is the wife to a sweet pastor, and mom to three kiddos-twin boys and a princess girl. Carrie is a travel agent with Destinations in Florida, where she enjoys making MAGICAL vacation memories for everyone! Contact her today at carrie@destinationsinflorida.com to start YOUR vacation planning!

Comments

I was prepared to write an angry comment about, “How dare you mention [insert attraction]!” But I pretty much agree with all of these ?
Barnstormer is a small exception only because of personal memories, it is the first roller coaster my children ever rode on.
Thanks for writing!

I’m with you on those four! Country Bear Jamboree is one we do when we need a sit down in an air conditioned area (I’m a teacher, so our trips are always in August). We always try to hit our favorites first, then go to the rides that are next on the list. And our biggest tip is to (if you’re not interested or coming back another day to see them) skip the fireworks and go on rides during the fireworks. We walked on to Pirates, and waited about 5 minutes for Jungle Cruise doing that!

I agree with all of these, except Barnstormer holds a special place as my kids’ first roller coaster. It is the least exciting of the coasters though. I really wanted to like Stitch’s Great Escape, but we went one time and never again. Thanks for sharing!

I definitely agree with this list. Dumbo is a classic but having 2 other rides that are the same format and in the same park is excessive. Time is very precious at Magic Kingdom because this park has the most to do!

If I just had one day at the Magic Kingdom, I would spend the day watching the castle show, the Movie It Shake It Play It Parade, the Festival of Fantasy Parade, character greetings, and Happily Ever After Fireworks!
I am a big fan of the Barnstormer though, probably for more sentimental reasons, lol. I am so scared of coasters and the Barnstormer was the first one my husband could get me on.

Aw, I actually love Stitch’s Great Escape, but I have a few hacks on how to enjoy it more that others don’t seem to realize. I get that a lot of people don’t like it though. I totally agree with Astro Orbiter though. The wait for that one is totally not worth the amount of time you are actually on the ride.

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Hi, I’m Carrie!

Orange tea sipper by day, wine drinker by night, I am a work at home mom to three gorgeous children ages 14, 14, and 7 and wife to my high school sweetheart. Our life is an adventure with our princess and her pirates. When I am not planning magical itineraries to the Happiest Place on Earth, I am crafting, baking, or spreading pixie dust. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a pixie dusted day! Read More…